João de Brito, commonly written as Joao De Brito[1] (born 1958), is a Portuguese and American painter. He has lived in Northern California since 1978, and travels extensively throughout the United States and Europe to paint in oils en plein air.[1] From age 6, he has observed and studied art to acquire a passion for expressing himself using impressionist/figurative views on canvas.
Life and career
editJoão de Brito was born in Vila Franca do Campo, São Miguel Island in the Azores, Portugal and as a young boy immigrated with his family to the East Coast of the United States.[citation needed] In 1978, the artist settled on California’s Monterey Peninsula where he shares his talents with the local community as well as international art enthusiasts.[citation needed] Though he admits to often ‘swimming against the current', his painting philosophy is to awaken hope, invoke a sense of well-being and share colors of life, de Brito is content to quietly observe nature and to allow his images to speak to the human heart.
Though de Brito sculpts and works in ceramic, he favors painting and incorporates his Portuguese roots along with influences of great French fauvists and California impressionists. In previous years, de Brito traveled to New Zealand to paint with Māori artists.
de Brito has become well known for his use of vibrant colors that elicit light, life, energy and interpretive landscapes. Having unleashed a fresh creativity – inspired by memories of his homeland, scenes from his many travels abroad – de Brito’s oils stimulate the sense of sight to produce emotion and thought. As a result, de Brito’s works appear in galleries, museums, businesses, government agencies and affluent homes around the world.
Along the way, he has had many solo exhibits, he's also been member of several art's organizations, the Santa Cruz Art League, Art Association and Museum, and the Beachcombers Club in Provincetown.[citation needed] Joao de Brito’s works have been found in exhibitions at Kate Nolan's Many Hands Gallery in Santa Cruz, California;[2] Thanassi Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts;[3][4] Monique Arnon Fine Arts Gallery in San Francisco; the Hauk Fine Art Gallery in Pacific Grove, California; and the Santa Cruz Art Center Gallery, in Santa Cruz, the Foundry Gallery, Berkeley and the Woodside Gallery, Woodside, California.[citation needed].
De Brito was part of the group exhibition, Ashes to Life: A Portuguese American Story in Art (2008), at the Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica, California, the other artists included Nathan Oliveira, Mel Ramos, and John Mattos.[5] A separate book by the same name was published for the exhibit with interviews with all four artist.[6]
Memberships
editThe Beachcombers Provincetown, Santa Cruz Art League, Provincetown Art Association and Museum[citation needed]
Publications
edit- Brito, Joao (2003). "Colors of Life", 24.
References
edit- 1 2 "Joao De Brito". AskArt.com.
- ↑ Rensendes, Francisco (2010). "João de Brito exhibits in California". Portuguese Times (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on July 15, 2011.
- ↑ "The Exuberant Images of Joåo de Brito". Provincetown Magazine. June 23, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
- ↑ Blayer, Irene Maria F.; Pereira da Silva Nunes, Lélia (June 22, 2010). ""New Horizons" - João de Brito". Comunidades (blog). Archived from the original on January 22, 2025.
- ↑ "Ashes to Life – A Portuguese American Story in Art, June 6 – July 12, 2008". Sanchez Art Center. June 2008. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011.
- ↑ Zanardi, Bonny (June 6, 2008). "Works by noted Portuguese American artists featured at Sanchez Art Center". East Bay Times. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
Further reading
edit- Karlstrom, Paul (Portuguese by Julia Pedreira-Lewis) (2008). "Ashes to Life: A Portuguese American Story in Art", 132.
- Teves, Paulo, Dias Rita M., Ed.s (2008). "Construir Cultura (Portuguese)", 196.
- Goulart, Tony (2008). "Capelinhos - A Volcano of Synergies: Azorean Emigration to America", 473.
- American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center (2008). "Global Warming - Calentamiento Global: XVII Ibero-American Art Salon", 44.
- Antczak, Stephen (translation by Julia Pedreira-Lewis) (2006). "Paths of Life/Passos da Vida", 24.
External links
edit- Official website
- Store about Joao de Brito works heraldnews.com
- bristolcc.edu
- artbusiness.com
- provincetownartguide.com
- Article about Joao Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine